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CD31 (PECAM‐1) is a marker of recent thymic emigrants among CD4 + T‐cells, but not CD8 + T‐cells or γδ T‐cells, in HIV patients responding to ART
Author(s) -
Tanaskovic Sara,
Fernandez Sonia,
Price Patricia,
Lee Silvia,
French Martyn A
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
immunology and cell biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0818-9641
DOI - 10.1038/icb.2009.108
Subject(s) - cd8 , cd31 , flow cytometry , t cell , immunology , cytotoxic t cell , biology , t lymphocyte , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , antigen , immune system , immunohistochemistry , in vitro , biochemistry
Some severely immunodeficient HIV patients experience poor recovery of CD4 + T‐cell counts on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Evaluation of the function of thymopoiesis in T‐cell production in individual patients requires a simple marker of T‐cells that have recently emigrated from the thymus. Here, we address whether expression of CD31 on CD4 + T‐cells, CD8 + T‐cells, regulatory T‐cells and γδ T‐cells correlates with other indicators of thymus function. Adult HIV‐1 patients ( n =27) with nadir CD4 + T‐cell counts <100 per μl and a sustained virological response to ART and healthy controls ( n =23) were studied. CD31 expression was assessed by flow cytometry, T‐cell receptor excision circles content by real‐time PCR and thymic volume by spiral computed tomography. Proportions of CD4 + T‐cells expressing CD45RA and CD31 declined with age in HIV patients ( P =0.03) and healthy controls ( P <0.0001), and correlated directly with other markers of thymus function. In controls, proportions of CD8 + T‐cells expressing CD45RA and CD31 declined with age ( P =0.003) and correlated directly with some markers of thymus function, but this was not seen in HIV patients. Proportions of CD45RA + CD31 + γδ T‐cells were higher in patients than controls ( P =0.007) and did not correlate with thymus volume. In controls, proportion of γδ T‐cells co‐expressing CD45RA and CD31 increased with age ( P =0.002). These data support the use of CD31 as a marker of recent thymic origin in CD4 + T‐cells, but not CD8 + T‐cells in HIV patients receiving ART. In such patients, CD31 expression is unlikely to indicate thymic origin in γδ T‐cells.